A Chance at Happiness and Family
by ClintBartonsGirl92
Summary: Ten years after the war Severus runs into a past student who is a single parent with a son with the person she hated most in school. Seeing her struggle with day to day life he steps in and helps her but will it lead to just more than a helping hand?
1. Chapter 1

Ten years have passed since the war and things have most definitely changed. He had changed since the war. Looking around Diagon Alley he sees a familiar tuff of chestnut hair but this tuff of hair has natural blonde streaks in the hair come bounding into the Leaky Cauldron. He watches the child of merely nine walks over to the counter and orders two butterbeers to go. He watches as the child fishes four sickles out of his pocket then he takes the two drinks and leaves. Getting up and tossing a few sickles on the table for his Firewhisky then follows the child curious as to who his lineage is.

After following the child for a little bit he comes across the child's mother in a book shop. She looked very familiar to him but he couldn't place where he's seen her.

"Thank you Mateo, now go and read your book." She said.

"Yes mum." He said.

He watches as Mateo goes and scampers off into the children's section and grabs his book and starts reading.

Before he could head into the shop a massive eagle comes swooping in, nearly hitting him in the head, and lands on the desk in front of the girl behind the desk.

She sighs and takes the letter and starts reading it then she sighs and looks over at her son.

"Mateo come on your father is requesting your presence."

"But mummy I don't want to go! I don't like my step-mummy. She's mean to me and so is my step-brother. I don't like them."

"I'm sorry sweetie but your father does deserve some time with you and besides it's Father's Day today and he wants to see you."

"Fine." He says exasperated.

"That's a good boy."

Walking out Mateo bolts out and bumps right into Severus.

"Oh I'm sorry, sir." The small child said.

Severus watches as the boy's mother comes out of the shop catching up to her ball of energy son.

**When the woman finally stood in front of her son she finally seemed to notice him. "Mateo, who's your friend?"**

**"I'm hurt that you don't remember me, Ms. Pabletti?"**

**He could see the flash of recognition hit her before she nodded politely "Hello, Professor Snape."**

"I've seen you've been busy lately."

"Yea. Keeping up with him is a job in its self."

"Who's the boy's father if you don't mind me asking."

"Old school…enemy…stupid drunken one night thing. Apparently it was a set up by both of our friends on their hen and mate's night out. Ditched the two of us when we had just enough Firewhisky in us. Apparently the tension was becoming bothersome."

"How does his father take to him being a bastard child?"

"Could care less. The Wizengamot gave me full custody of him and they have him paying child support. He just has him for a weekend a month to try and have some type of relationship with him but he and I both know he favors his other child." She said as Mateo was lagging behind not wishing to see his father.

"Despicable. Who's the boy's father?" he asks as Mateo comes over.

"Mummy, can we get something to eat before I have to see Father? Please?"

"Sure kiddo." She said giving her attention to Mateo then she looked at Severus and says, "Draco Malfoy is my son's father."

With that said she took her son's hand and walked away and went over to the entrance that lead to Muggle London to go and get Mateo some lunch then bring him to Draco's.

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><p><strong>AN: I wanna thank Moonlit2dreams for allowing me to borrow the part in bold from her story: One Small Bezoar. I had been working on this story for a while and wasn't able to come up with anything and when I read her story and read those three lines it sparked and it got me back to writing this story! So go read her story One Small Bezoar and give her the credit for writing the three indicated lines!**


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later Severus goes to see his godson to talk to him about his first born son. He knew the heir rule didn't care if the child was a bastard child if the child was the first born male he counted as the ligament heir. He couldn't believe that his godson was treating Mateo like he was and allowed Astoria and Scorpius to treat Mateo in a rude manor as well. He was going to take care of it and get it straightened out and help her get more child support money for Mateo as well as he had a friend on the Wizengamot and he found out exactly how much she was getting and it was barely enough to help support Mateo. The pay was terrible at the little book shop where she worked and she was struggling to keep her head above water.

Flooing in her nearly gets knocked over by Scorpius.

"Hi Uncle Sev! How are you!" the young boy asks.

"I'm well. Where's your father?"

"In his study fighting with Mateo's mum. She's yelling in some weird language."

"Alright. Thank you."

He heads up to the study and hears her yelling in Italian at Draco. He knew from teaching her in Hogwarts that when she yelled in Italian she was beyond upset and that had happened once and she had hexed Draco so that he was stuck to a wall and couldn't get down no matter how hard he tried until she got a formal apology from him.

He knocked and enters the study.

"Hello Draco, Miss. Pabletti."

"Uncle."

"Professor." She says.

"What brings you by Uncle?"

"To talk to you about your son Mateo. He deserves just as much as Scorpius does and I talked with the heir department and he is the sole and legal heir to the Malfoy line."

"Why are you bothering with her and why do you care?"

"Because each of them deserve better. You let Astoria and Scorpius bully and push him around when he should be treated as part of them family which he is as the boys are half brothers. There's no denying it. Mateo sulks like you did when you were his age and didn't want to do something. He is a Malfoy through and through. They're struggling enough without you being a prick."

"Uncle shove off. This doesn't concern you." Draco growls.

"Watch your tongue boy." He growls.

"This doesn't concern you. This is between me and Christi."

Christi looks over at Severus and gives him a small tight smile. He didn't have to be there defending her but he was. She still had a crush on him that she's had on him ever since fourth year when she nearly blew up her cauldron brewing Awakening Potion and she added the wrong amount of Billywig sting and he stopped it then held her after class lecturing her.

After having two weeks detention with him her crush developed and she never got over it.

Severus snorts and walks out and leaves the house.

"Draco be reasonable the support you're giving isn't enough."

"There's no specified amount that I need to give to you as child support just as long as the money is transferred into your vault every month you should be happy that you get that."

"You're impossible Draco. Impossible. How Astoria puts up with you I don't know. And yea your godfather is right we do struggle every month but you don't give a shit." She snides then she turns and walks out of the room then out of the house and then Apperate's home only to find Severus standing outside her flat waiting for her.

"Professor." She said.

"Call me Severus."

"Severus." She says softly smiling.

"You alright?" he asks.

"Fine, just frustrated. May I ask why you've all of the sudden taken an interest in helping?"

"Everyone deserves a helping hand every once in a while. I know from experience and you being the incredibly stubborn Ravenclaw you are I know you won't ask for help until the last second."

She goes pink in the cheeks and says, "Yea I guess you're right."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asks.

"We're good for right now. The bills are getting paid and there's food in the flat that's all that really matters."

He nods knowing not to push the subject until she came for help.

He had loved the young half Italian half Greek Ravenclaw since her fifth year but he knew it was illegal and not to mention she was a student. But now 10yrs later fate has thrown them together in the form of her nine year old son.

He had been incredibly surprised that she ended up in Ravenclaw her first year as her mother had been a Slytherin and her father a Gryffindor so he had assumed that she would end up in either of those houses but when she didn't he was surprised then as the years progressed he saw why she ended up in Ravenclaw. She was smart and witty to a T.

Now that he had her close and in need of help he was going to help her at all costs. He wasn't going to let her end up in trouble. He knew she was going to need help and he wanted to be there for her to give it to her.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Wow! My longest chapter yet! Holy crap! 2,000 plus words! wow! Please read and review!**_

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><p>Months had gone by and Severus helped Christi as much as he could with Mateo when Christi needed someone to watch him while she was working late and Draco refused to watch his son. The two were growing close as the boy had taken an immediate interest in Potions. Whenever Severus had to watch him, which was often as Christi had been taking extra shifts at the bookshop; he would show him new potions he was working on and have him help him. At the moment Severus and Mateo were in the Apothecary gathering new ingredients for a new potion.<p>

"We need wolfsbane next." Severus said looking at his list.

"I'll get it!" Mateo said excitedly.

He scampers over and grabs the much needed wolfsbane then he spots a potions kit and his little blue-grey eyes go as wide as saucers then he sighs. He knew that his mum couldn't afford to get it for him right now as they were really struggling. He would often hear his mum in tears most nights talking to a few old school friends about what was going on.

Severus watches the scene then when they boy returns and hands him the wolfsbane.

"Hey Mateo, can you go to shop where your mum works and ask if those books I ordered have come in yet for me please?" he asks.

"Sure thing." He says with a true smile as he would be excited to see him mum any chance he got.

He runs out of the shop then down the alley to the shop.

Severus goes and grabs one of the kits then he goes and pays for everything.

As he's exiting the shop he watches as Mateo runs into the shop where his mother worked. He enjoyed watching the interaction Mateo had with his mother as it reminded him of all the happy times in his childhood.

He watches as Christi scoops her son up and holds her on her hip as he was small for his age.

He heads into the shop and goes over to the counter and smiles.

"Hello Severus the books you asked for are in back. As soon as I get this little leech off of me I'll go and get them for you."

"Take your time." He says.

"Alright and I can't thank you enough for doing this for me Severus, especially since you don't have to."

"It's not a problem. I don't mind doing this. Besides you need the help."

She smiles and shifts Mateo over to her other hip.

"Alright Spider Monkey lets go and get those books."

She disappears into the back room for a few moments then she walks back out carrying the books that were wrapped up in brown paper.

"Here you go."

"Thanks." He said handing her a few galleons as she set Mateo down.

"No problem. I have no idea on when I'm getting home. Betty has me working really late tonight."

"Alright. Just send me an owl if you want me to bring him back to my place for the evening. I've kept the room he uses the way it is just in case."

"Alright and I really do appreciate this."

"It's not a problem."

**¥Next Morning¥**

Severus is carrying a still sleeping Mateo into Christi's flat. He gets through all the wards easily as she had added him into the wards so that it allowed him to enter without her or Mateo.

He walks in and spots Christi curled up on the couch sleeping soundly still fully dressed.

He goes and puts Mateo back in his bed then he goes and grabs a blanket from the hall cupboard then he goes and covers her up as there was a slight chill in the flat and he casts a warming charm on the flat. After he does that he gently brushes some hair out of her face and behind her ear.

After making sure she was fine he went and looked around the rest of the flat after that he goes into the small kitchen and he looks for something to make for them for breakfast when they woke up and he saw there was barely and food in the pantry. He sighs as he had just asked her a few days ago and she had said it was fully stocked and they were fine.

"Damn it Christi." He mutters.

After finding everything he needed to make flapjacks he goes and makes them then he sets them on the counter and then casts a charm on them to make sure they stay warm until they're consumed.

He turns as he hears shuffling of feet as being a spy for eighteen years he was always on increased alert but he was trying to break the habit the last ten years but it seemed damn near impossible.

He sees a now sleepy eyed Mateo rubbing his eyes.

"Hey sleepy head. Do you want some pancakes just like how my mum used to make? With cinnamon and apple sauce to add some flavor and sweetness?"

"Yes, please." He says sleepy.

Severus smiles as the boy sits and he puts a couple of pancakes on a plate for him.

"There you go buddy. How about after this you and I go to supermarket and restock you and your mum's pantry?"

He nods eating his pancakes.

Severus chuckles. He could see the resemblance between Mateo and Draco. Neither one of them were a morning person and took a while to wake completely up.

After Mateo finishes his breakfast he goes and gets dressed in jeans and t-shirt with sneakers.

As Mateo does that Severus quickly scribbles a note for Christi informing her of where and Mateo were in case she woke up by the time they got home.

Severus and Mateo head out and Christi wakes up smelling the pancakes then she sits up and stretches.

"Ouch. Note to self: don't sleep on the couch again." She mutters to herself.

She gets up and calls out for Severus and Mateo walking into the kitchen then she spots the note.

She sighs and shakes her head.

"Damn you Severus." She mutters.

She goes and starts cleaning up the flat starting on Mateo's room as it was a disaster zone.

After a few hours she hears the door open and she hears Mateo's animated chatter.

She heads down there and sees both of them coming in and she smiles.

"You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to. So how long has it been since it's been fully stocked?" he asks as they head into the kitchen and start putting everything away.

"A few weeks." She admits softly.

"Why didn't you come to me?" he asks.

"I was fine. He was getting fed every night and that was all that mattered."

"When was the last time you had a good decent meal?" he asks of her.

"Few weeks I guess."

"Go and get dressed. I'm taking you to dinner. You need a good meal in you."

"Alright but who's going to watch Mateo?"

"Lucius and before you ask Draco and his father are estranged because Draco treats Mateo badly and Lucius doesn't like that. He wants some type of relationship with his oldest grandson. Now go and get ready he'll be here in a little bit."

She nods and heads upstairs and goes to get ready.

Opening her wardrobe she looks through and sighs. She had nothing decent to wear. She sighs and finds a pair of nice pants and a nice blouse. She quickly styles her hair where it falls in loss curls around her face and does her make very lightly.

She goes downstairs and she hears Mateo animatedly chatting with Lucius.

She gets down there and Mateo smiles and runs over to his mother.

"Mummy granddad is gonna watch me for the night! We're going back to his home for me to meet my nana!" he said excitedly.

"Sounds exciting. Now remember to behave yourself and mind your manners and don't take advantage of the house elves." she informs her son feeling slightly uneasy about having him go.

"Yes mummy." He tells her nodding.

"Good boy." She said ruffling his hair.

He moves away sighing dramatically much like Draco.

"Boy you are so much like your father." She says.

"Father says otherwise. He says I'm more like a stupid Ravenclaw than anything. What does he mean by that?"

"What he means is that meaning he and I always battled each other in school for the top grades in our year every year and he was always upset that he was always a few steps right behind me. See in Hogwarts there are four houses…"

"Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff." Mateo said.

"Exactly and your mum was in Ravenclaw, a know it all as I used to call her back when she attended Hogwarts and I taught her."

"And your father in Slytherin." Lucius said.

"Mummy, why did Mr. Snape call you a know it all?"

"Because she would always spout out the answers to questions I would ask and she was the top female in her year. She always outsmarted your father in Potions. Which reminds me how come you never went to become a Potions Mistress?" Snape asks.

"I was too caught up in with trying to repair my life from after the war then I had Mateo so I haven't had the time plus working at the shop. I barely have any time for anything else."

Severus nods.

"Alright Mateo and I should be going to the Manor. Narcissa is expecting us."

Christi nods and hugs and kisses her son good-bye then she watches as he and Lucius Floo over to Malfoy Manor.

After they're gone Christi and Severus head out to dinner to a nice muggle restaurant.

"How about I take you on as an apprentice and help you toward becoming a Potions Mistress? I know the school is looking for a new Potions professor."

"Really?"

Severus nods sipping his wine.

"Thank you so much. I would really like that."

He smiles and nods.

The rest of the evening is filled with light conversation and he has her laughing and smiling most of the time.

Arriving back at her flat he walks her to the door and she fumbles to get her keys out.

"Thank you for a nice evening Severus. I can't remember the last time I had such a good time."

"Good you deserve it. You've sacrificed so much over the years you deserved it."

She smiles and leans against the doorframe.

Smiling back he gently slips his hand behind her neck and lightly snogs her. She responds quickly and she wraps her arms around his neck as he slips his free arm around her waist and pulls her close to him.

She pulls back gasping for breath and smiles.

"Have a good evening." He says.

"You too." She said then started to chew on her lower lip.

She watched as he walked away then quickly Apparated away.

She heads inside just as the Floo flares up and she smiles as Mateo comes running over to her.

"Hi Mum! I had lots of fun with granddad and nana! We rode horses and had dinner and played chest! I had lots of fun!"

"Good I'm glad. Now go and get ready for bed."

He nods and scampers upstairs to get ready for bed.

"Thank you Lucius. I appreciate you watching him for the evening."

"It wasn't a problem. I was hoping that you'd allowed Narcissa and I to watch him more often and allow us to help you two out."

"Of course you two can see him more but I'm doing fine really." She said.

"You call struggling week to week fine?"

"Alright, yes we could use the help but its fine really Lucius."

"Christi, you're family and I help my family."

"Lucius, please. We're doing alright. Really."

"You're lying."

"And if I am then fine. But we're doing alright."

"Christi, please, let me help you."

"Lucius please, I've already had this conversation my parents. I really need to do this on my own if not I'm going to feel like I need to rely on everyone and I don't want to do that anymore." She says.

"Understandable but just allow me to help you a bit. Please." He asks.

She sighs and nods.

"Alright. You win. But just a bit."

"Good. I'll make sure the kitchen is stocked weekly with any needs and give you one of the best House Elves at the Manor to help you out as well."

"Wait who's definition of a bit? Mine or yours?"

"Mine." He smirks.

She laughs and rolls her eyes. Lucius laughs along with her glad to see a genuine smile on her face. Lucius was highly disappointed in his son and how he was treating the mother of his oldest child and his oldest son. He knew he and Narcissa raised him better than that. He just wanted to know where they had gone wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco paced his study furious. Christi was starting to get under his skin. She was taking him back to the Wizengamot to get more child support from him even though she was getting help from his father and godfather so he didn't understand why she wanted more money from him and not to mention he did some research and she was making more than enough to support without his help so he didn't understand why she even needed his child support. He smirked. She was going down and she was going down real good and get out of his hair and life for good.

'It's about time.' He thought.

"Father?" he hears and he turns.

"What is it Scorp?"

"You're pacing. You only do when you're planning revenge against someone. If you're going to hurt Mateo's mummy, please don't. Mateo is cool. He loves Potions like I do. We're getting along great. Please don't hurt them Father. Mateo is my brother." Scorpius says with full Malfoy confidence.

"Stay away from Mateo. Now, off to your room." Draco says as calmly as he could without growling, snapping, yelling, or hissing at his son.

"Yes, Father." He said then left the room.

Yes, now he had to make sure that Christi and the brat were out of their lives for good. He was going to make sure of that.

He calls in a few favors and he smirks. Soon she was going to be out of work and have no choice but to leave London and find somewhere else to live away from him and be out of his hair and family's life for good.

He snickers and grabs a book from the shelf then takes a seat and starts reading the book.

Laughing over lunch Christi pushes her hair behind her ears smiling. She was really enjoying herself with Severus and Mateo was opening up to him easily like she had never seen before. She took it as a good sign and that things were finally looking up in her life.

"Can I ask you something?" Severus asks as he cleans up from their meal that he made himself.

"What is it Severus?" she asks.

"Why me? You could have done so much better than me and not to mention I'm more than likely twice your age."

She smiles and thinks for a moment gathering her thoughts before speaking wanting her explanation to come out just right and not sound to…fan girlish…in her own opinion she just wanted it to be completely truthful.

"Well you were a spy which was really brave and…noble, I think that's the word I'm looking for. The way you protected all of us when you really didn't have to you could have just let him at us all and pick us off one by one until he found Harry." she says.

"I did what I had to." He replies snippy.

She rolls her eyes dramatically.

"Stubborn Slytherin." She mutters rolling her eyes.

"Know-it-all Ravenclaw." He mutters.

She smirks and giggles.

"Restoring back to school days name calling?" she asks giggling.

This time it was his turn to roll his eyes at her.

"Hey that's my thing the eye roll!" she laughs.

"Annoying Ravenclaw."

"Sneaky Slytherin."

Christi gets sneaky and gets up snogs him to the point of wanting more then she pulls back laughing.

"That is for being an incredibly stubborn and sneaky Snake." She smirks as the Floo goes and Mateo comes running in.

"Mummy guess what!" he cries ignoring Severus standing there slightly breathless.

Lucius comes in and chuckles seeing the look on his old friends face knowing that look very well as he's had on many times in his youth with Narcissa.

"What is it sweetie?"

"Scorpius was over as well and we played Quidditch and it was lots of fun! Granddad then told us stories from when he was in Hogwarts! I had sooooo much fun! Can I go back tomorrow? Scorpius is going back tomorrow. Please? I wanna get to know my brother."

"Sure, sweetie. So I see you two have finally stopped butting heads."

"Yup! Granddad said that I'm gonna be Gryffindor!" he laughs.

"Well we'll just have to wait a few more years and see."

Mateo smiles and nods.

Meanwhile Lucius and Severus were talking.

"So what's with the look?" Lucius asks smirking.

"What look?"

"The look like she just snogged you within an inch of your life that left you wanting nothing more than to drag her arse right up those stairs and shag her within the limits of her life." Lucius smirks.

"She complimented me, we bickered then she did that."

"And complimenting you is a bad thing?"

"The last time I had someone that close to me I lost her to bloody Potter then she was murdered."

Lucius sighs knowing he was talking about Lily Evans.

"Severus, my friend that was a different time. Those times were Dark and things never went right. But now is a new time and we never have to worry again. Don't push her away. Both of you deserve happiness now and a family."

Severus just brushes him off then walks away. He didn't think that. Not with his past and everything he had to do and of what had happened to him. He didn't think he deserved it and not to mention he was worried about turning into his own father if he ever had a family and he didn't want that.


	5. Chapter 5

The school year was quickly approaching and Severus was preparing to head back to the school so that he had something else to focus on now as Christi and Mateo were invading his thoughts all the time. Christi was invading his dreams now more often, nearly nightly, and it was driving him crazy. He had slowly been pushing her away as he was having conflicted emotions.

He had heard from Scorpius and Lucius that Christi had been often been asking Lucius and Narcissa to watch Mateo and now the boy was practically living with the elder Malfoy's.

Walking into the book shop where Christi worked and he saw her and she looked horrible. She looked like she had barely even slept in the last few months.

"Miss. Pabletti." He said.

"Professor." She says shortly.

"Everything alright?"

"Dandy." She said her voice full of sarcasm.

"How's Mateo?"

"Sick. Can I help you with something?"

"Just picking up some books for this coming school year."

"Oh yes." She said checking under the desk and finding them.

"Here you go. Five galleons." She said.

He nods and places the galleons the counter then walks out and Apperate's over to Malfoy Manor.

He walks into the house and he walks into the living area and finds Lucius and Mateo asleep on the leather sofa. Mateo was curled into Lucius right side with his head on his shoulder and Lucius had his arm around the boy and had a copy of _'The Tales of Beddle the Bard'_ on his chest.

Severus looks over the boy and notices he's a sickly pale, and he looked much too thin.

He frowns. Why hadn't he been…oh yea. He was being a real prat and pushing her away.

Lucius stirs and sees Severus standing there. Lucius disentangles himself from the sick little boy then he goes and grabs Severus and drags him into another room.

"What are you doing here? Here to hurt Christi and Mateo even more?"

"I swear Lucius if you even try to hex or swing at me, there will be trouble."

"You don't deserve either one of them. He has some muggle illness and it's slowly killing him. She's been working extra hours just to make more money so that she can take care of him as she refuses to let anyone help her including Cissy and myself. She's afraid we're just going to hurt her like you have. She's shutting herself down and working herself like a dog just to make sure she can take care of her own son. Draco is trying to get her to lose her job so she's freaking out right now so she has too much on her plate so don't bother trying to get near her or Mateo. If you come near them you will regret it."

"Everyone who gets too close to me who I start caring deeply about gets killed on me. The both of them deserve better than me."

"Why don't you let her decide? She needs someone to help her and take care of her no matter how much she denies it. She needs someone. She needs someone who she loves and cares about and that's you Severus but you don't seem to care."

Just then a house elf appears.

"Master Lucius. Young Mateo is sick and asking for you." The young timid elf says.

"Thank you Lucy." He said then left the room and went right back over to where Mateo was throwing up in a bucket.

After a few minutes of dry heaving Mateo curls into his grandfather.

"Granddad?" he asks weakly.

"What's up sport?"

"Why doesn't Uncle Sev come around anymore? Doesn't he love mummy or me anymore? Was I a bad boy like Father says? I didn't mean to if I was. Uncle Sev made mummy very happy. Now mummy cries a lot. I don't like it when mummy cries." He says weakly.

"I can't exactly say why he doesn't come and see you and your mum anymore and I have no idea if does and Mateo Orion Pabletti I do not ever want to hear you speak like that ever again! You are not a bad child. You're an incredibly well mannered and good boy! Your father has no idea on what he is saying. He doesn't know you so he has no right to say what he does to you. As for your mum she's just really upset and worried about you so that's why she cries but I know she loves you more than anything."

Severus stays in the shadows watching this. He had already taken note of sickly pale, much too thin appearance of the child but now he had taken note of the weakness within the child though he had just woken up from a nap and the fact that he was just heaving up the contents of his stomach. The boy had incredibly dark circles under his eyes and just looked terrible.

He leaves the manor and starts going through all the medical muggle books he had that he had gotten from his mother before she was beaten to death by his father.

She had been a Healer and was interested in both muggle and wizarding diseases.

He started paging through all the books and finally came across one that was the closest match. It was something called childhood leukemia and if not treated right away as soon as the diagnoses was given the mortality chances went up.

"Sweet Salazar!" he mutters.

He sits down in his chair downstairs by the fireplace and starts reading up on it to find out what could be done while thinking if he could somehow make a potion to help the child and how to get it to him without Lucius hexing or taking a swing at him and Christi just plain hexing him into the next millennium.

**£Malfoy Manor£**

"Granddad?" he asks weakly.

"Yes my little king?"

"If I die take care of mummy. She's really sad."

"Hey little man don't talk like that. You're going to get better. The Muggle Healers and Magic Healers will make you better no matter what. Now go to sleep." He said rubbing the small boys back.

Mateo nods and weakly snuggles into his grandfathers arms.

Lucius hears the Floo go and he brandishes his wand thinking it was Severus but finds it was Christi.

"Christi? What are you doing here? It's only early noon."

She sighs fighting tears.

"I lost my job because I got summoned to the Wizengamot. Apparently The Amazing Bouncing Ferret went through all my records and found out how much I make but he didn't count in all my expenses. So now I have no job and he got off of paying child support. They wouldn't even listen to me when I told them he was really sick and Draco just laughed. He thinks I'm kidding. I can't do this. I really can't do this." She says breaking down in tears.

Lucius gently lies the small boy on the couch and then goes over and gently hugs Christi to him allowing her to cry into his chest.

"Cissy and I will help you with him and ensure that he gets taken care of. Now how about the two of you permanently move in here with us? Being with family really helps when struggling times come."

"Are you sure?" she asks weakly.

"Yes, now I'll have Lucy bring you up to a room to lie down and get some rest. She'll also bring you a dreamless sleep potion and calming draught."

Christi nods weakly against his chest. Lucius calls for Lucy and then she comes and shows Christi to her room.

Lucius sighs and looks over at the sick little boy on the sofa. He snorts and gently picks him up and as he does the boy wakes up.

"Granddad?"

"Go back to sleep buddy. We're going to go and see your dad."

"Why?"

"He needs to see that you are sick. He doesn't believe that you are so we need to show him."

"Okay." He mutters.

Lucius goes and Apperate's right over to Draco's and glides through the wards and into his son's home.

"GRANDFATHER!" Scorpius yells happily spotting his grandfather then a sickly Mateo.

"Grandfather is Mateo okay?"

"Afraid not Scorp. He's real sick. Where's your father?"

"Upstairs. Can I help Mateo get better?"

"Maybe. I'll be heading upstairs to talk to him now."

Scorpius nods then watches as Lucius heads upstairs.

Walking into his son's study Lucius clears his throat.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy. How bloody well dare you do that to Christi then laugh about the fact that _**YOUR **_son is fatally ill! Take a look at the boy and tell me that he doesn't look fatally ill!"

"Simple glamour spell."

"There is none and no potion either."

Draco snorts then casts 'Finite Incantatem' on Mateo then gasps when nothing happens.

"He really is ill?"

"Bloody well is! He's dying and the stunt you pulled today made her lose her job and on top of everything else that has been going on in her life she's near a physical, and emotional breakdown. Now make things right." Lucius hisses then walks out with the sick little boy in his grip.

Draco runs out and stops his father.

"What do I do?" he asks.

He had been miserable lately. Astoria left him and Scorpius and it had just been them two lately and they only way he knew how to mask his misery was to make someone else miserable so that was what he was doing to Christi. But now their son was sick and he didn't know what else to do.

He knew what Severus had been doing to Christi and it pissed him off now. Christi had enough on her plate and he was just adding more stress into her life. He was disgusted at how his godfather was acting.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay this is where all of you my reviewers/story alerter's/story favoriter's i need your help in choosing of where to go next! Should Mateo slowly get worse and Christi refuse any help from Severus because of the way he treated her or should Lucius and/or Draco convince her to talk to Severus and listen to his side of the story or should Severus some how corner her and make her listen to him and his explanation? i need your help in choosing that! along with give me any ideas YOU would like to see happen in the story! Thanks all!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to Sunnyinoregon for giving ideas for this chapter and more to come! if it wasn't for her I just might have put this story on hiatus but thanks to her i have ideas and its gotten the ball rolling once again! so go and check her out and give her some love!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Approaching The London Preparatory School for Gifted Children Severus heads inside to go and pick up Scorpius. Lucius was with Christi doing something secretive which Lucius outright refused to tell him what or even when they would be back and Draco was working and couldn't get away so he was there picking him up. He walks into the headmasters office and sees the young blonde boy sitting there.<p>

"I assume you're the boy's uncle?" the headmaster asks.

"I am."

"Well Scorpius' grades have been dropping dramatically over the last few months. He's usually an O student but has recently dropped down to a D and T student. Are there problems at home?"

Shaking his head Severus replies, "Not that I'm aware of."

"Yes, sir." Comes the quiet response from Scorpius.

"Which is?" Severus asks.

"Mat." He says softly.

Severus nods and he looks at the headmaster.

"I'll take the boy home and we'll work the situation out."

The headmaster nods and allows Severus to take Scorpius home. They head over to Draco's flat and he gets the boy settled in.

"Alright, kiddo, what's going on?"

"I'm sad."

"Why what's wrong?"

"Mateo is really sick. He's not doing too well. I just want my brother better. I want to be able to play with him and go to school with him!"

"Mateo's sick?" Severus asks.

Scorpius nods vigorously. He didn't want his brother to be sick. He was confined to his room all the time and couldn't play anymore. The most that Mateo could do was play Exploding Snape or Wizards Chess and some days he was even too sick to do that! He sighs.

"May I go to my room?" Scorpius asks.

Severus nods and watches the boy get up and scamper off into his room just as his governess walks into the flat.

"Mister Snape."

"Abigail." He said shortly and walked out immediately Apparating to Malfoy Manor. He walks inside and hears Cissy and Christi talking in the kitchen.

"What did the muggle Healers say?" he hears Cissy ask.

"Too soon to tell. I'm so worried about him. He's my baby boy. I can't lose him. I really can't lose him Cissy."

He watches as Cissy just pats Christi's back as he walks in and clears his throat. Both look over at him and he gets dirty looks from both of them but if looks could kill he'd be dead from the look Christi was giving him.

"Can we talk Miss. Pabletti?"

"Get lost." She hisses her voice laced with venom as she gets up and shoves past him and heading upstairs to where Mateo was.

"Severus it would be best if you left, I think you've caused enough problems and Christi doesn't even need more problems."

"Cissy…" he starts but gets cut off.

"Severus, leave." She says.

He snorts and starts to walk out of the manor only to almost knock into a house-elf.

"Twinkie sorry Master Snape! Twinkie didn't see Master Snape! Twinkie worried about Young Master Mateo's health. An owl just came and delivered a letter from the muggle healer who knows about Wizardry for the health of Young Master Mateo."

"Who's the Healer?" he asks.

"Healer Weasley nee Granger." Twinkie stutters.

Severus nods and he quickly walks out of the Manor and heads over to where Hermione was working at the children's hospital in London. Arriving there he walks in and asks the receptionist to speak to Hermione. She nods and pages Hermione to come to the reception area. Severus paces the waiting area and he sighs. He wanted to know what was wrong with Mateo and he was pretty sure that he could find out from Hermione.

"Who wanted to see me Anna?"

"I did, Miss. Granger or shall I say Mrs. Weasley."

Hermione turns and sees Severus standing there.

"Severus." She says approaching him with a smile dressed in a long white lab coat with dress pants and nice blouse under the lab coat with her hair tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of her face and the way while she's working.

"Please call me Professor."

She inwardly smirks and says, "What can I help you with Severus?"

"Professor." He corrects then says, "I need to know about Mateo Pabletti."

"Why and I can't give you that information due to Doctor Patient confidentiality and that Christi also told me what was going on with you two I wouldn't even tell you if I was sworn not to say a word."

Severus frowns and uses Legilimency on her and finds out that the boy does indeed have childhood leukemia. He pulls out and swiftly turns on his heel and sweeps out of the room with his robes billowing behind him as he left. He heads home and starts working on a potion to cure Mateo as he thinks about on how he could get it to Mateo as well because he knows for a fact that Christi wouldn't let him anywhere near Mateo because of him pushing them away.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: The section in bold italic is taken DIRECTLY from The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I don't own it and am just borrowing it!

* * *

><p>Months had passed and from he was able to gather Mateo was getting worse slowly and not matter what Hermione tried nothing was helping the young boy. Severus had barely left his potions lab in that time trying to come up with something to help cure the little boy had grown to see as nearly a son to him. He finishes brewing yet another potion and tested it on a lab rat he had managed to get that had leukemia and then he ran the diagnostic spell that all Healers know and he finds the rat completely cured of the fatal diseases. He bottles it then corks it and puts it in a small box that would protect it and make sure that nothing happened it. He goes and gets a few hours of sleep as he had barely been sleeping ever since he started working on the cure for Mateo. After he gets a few hours of sleep he gets up and takes a quick shower then he gets dressed and heads over to Malfoy Manor where Christi had moved in indefinitely after Mateo had gotten sick and she lost her job at the bookstore.<p>

After passing through the wards he walks up to the house and he heads inside. He hears Christi's voice coming drifting into the foyer from the living area. He could hear her reading a story from _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_.

**"_But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death like an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life."_ **He could hear her finishing off the story.

"One more please mummy." Came Mateo's weak voice.

"Not right now darling. Get some sleep right now and maybe when you wake up I'll tell you the story of Aladdin."

"Okay." He says.

Severus walks in and looks at how sleep deprived Christi looked. Her normal olive skin tone was now pale, her face looked sunken in and she had bags under eyes. He goes to approach them but gets stopped by Draco.

"What are you doing here Uncle?" he asks.

Christi was upset enough as it was he was going to be damned if he let Severus go into that living room and upset her even more than she already was. They had gotten word that Mateo wasn't improving and that he might not have much longer to live. Lucius was making Christi stay at the Manor and sleep while he took Mateo to the hospital to get some stronger dosages of the medication and his treatment.

"I'm here to right the wrongs that shouldn't have happen. And what are you  
>doing here? I would've thought you wouldn't want to be in the same home as<br>your first born's mother."

"When I found out he was sick made me realize that we only have one chance with the most important people in our lives and I messed that up once when I was a rude little prick to her the morning after and I lost her but I don't want to lose my son because of my stupidity. So I grew up and have been here supporting her when you should have been here with her keeping her head on her shoulders. She had a complete break down yesterday where we had to force a calming drought down her throat. And where you nowhere to be found." Draco hisses as Lucius enters the room and he goes and gently lifts the sleeping child into his arms.

"You know where to find me Draco. But keep a close eye on her she looks like she's about to snap again."

Draco nods and glares at his godfather as Lucius heads out to the waiting car to take him and Mateo to the hospital as it was a muggle hospital.

Severus steps around Draco and he goes into the living area and clears his throat. Christi turns and sees him.

"What do you want?" she hisses.

"I'm here to right the wrongs that shouldn't have happen."

"Yea, too little to late Severus. Right now my son is my only priority in my life. You had the chance to be a part of our lives but you up and ran like a coward. Harry was right seventh year. You're just a coward! I can't believe I trusted you not to hurt us but more my son than anyone. He thinks he's a bad child because before all this happened that's all Draco would tell him then you leaving just added onto that irrational fear of his! He doesn't have the will to fight this damn thing! He doesn't want to fight! He's barely fighting. Somehow Hermione is getting him to fight this. It's your fault my son doesn't want to live! I wish to Merlin that you had never come into our lives because if you hadn't he'd be fighting for his life! Instead he's letting it slowly kill him!" she yells at him in tears.

He walks up to her, grabs her shoulders and gives her a little shake and tells  
>her what he said to Lucy. How he was afraid and he wants to right the wrongs<br>and save his sons life.

She pushes him off and shoves past him and heads right out to the back garden and wraps her arms around her waist as if she was holding herself together as she leaned against the wall and breaks down in tears. Her head was telling her to tell him to get lost and to just to leave her the bloody hell alone but her heart was screaming at her to go back inside and cling to him. She wasn't sure which to listen to. She hated the man the man for hurting her and her son but she also loved the man. She was so frustrated and confused and not to mention sleep deprived. She looks up as she hears footsteps.

"Severus, please." She says softly.

He goes over and gently lifts her chin to make her look at him and leans in and snogs her for a moment then he pulls back and looks at her and sees a fire in her eyes.

'Bad idea.' He thought as she slapped him roughly then storms into the house. She rubs her hand as it was stinging from when she slapped him. She runs her hand under some cold water to help ease the stinging.

She sighs when she hears a crack of Apparition. She looks up as she hears footsteps and sees Lucius looking paler than usual.

"Lucius what's wrong?"

He shook his head and called for Draco who came downstairs and stood next to Christi looking at his father.

"Father what is?"

"It's Mateo, Hermione said he's in something called a coma and he's not going to live through the night."

Draco grabs Christi and pulls her into his chest and holds her close to him as she sobs. He leans his head on top of her head and holds her close to him as sobs wreak through her body. Draco lets tears escape as well squeezing his eyes shut. Severus feels his heart nearly stop seeing both Draco and Christi in tears at something that Lucius had just said.

He sweeps in and looks at Lucius who sees the hand print on his face and he smirks.

"Get hit there old friend?"

Severus snorts.

"Was he in pain?"

"He's in a coma and won't make the night."

Severus looks at Christi and says, "Christi, I have something that will help him. It will cure him. It won't him any worse than he already is. Give me this chance to help him."

She nods. She would give anything to help her son and not lose him. She loved him more than anything and she couldn't lose him.

Severus briskly sweeps out and Apparite's to the hospital where Mateo was.

He gets in there and asks where Mateo's room was and he gets directions and he heads down there and finds Hermione in there.

"What do you want?"

"I have a cure for the boy."

"How'd you know what he has? I never told you!"

"I used Legilimency on you." He said

_*Flashback*_

_Pushing his way into Hermione's mind he follows her walking through the hospital and he watches as the blood test results come out of the mysterious looking machine._

"_Damn." He hears her mutter._

_He watches as she goes and Apparite's to Malfoy Manor to tell Christi the news and everything._

_She sends a Patronus to Christi telling her she was outside the wards. He watched as Christi came out and took Hermione through the wards and they all headed inside. _

_He watched as she told Christi, Draco and Lucius all to sit down. He watched as they all sat down and then Hermione got a serious look on and she took a deep breath and let it out._

"_I got Mateo's test results back and they're not good."_

"_What's the matter Hermione?" Christi asks unconsciously grabbing Draco's hand and lacing their fingers together. _

_Draco squeezes her hand unconsciously as well. They both had a connection and that connection was Mateo even though they had despised each other there was something wrong with their son and they could at least put their differences behind them for him and try and have a decent relationship with each other for the sake of their son._

"_Mateo has a muggle illness called childhood __leukemia. We've caught it early which is good but we need to start treatment in order to ensure that the mortality rate is low if we don't start it soon the mortality rate increases dramatically and he could possibly die."_

_He watches as Christi completely loses it and Draco pulls her close looking remorseful. He watched the two just sit there in tears about the news of their son. He looked over to Lucius and sees him trying his best to look strong but he was slowly losing the fight._

"_We'll do anything to make sure the boy is cured of this."_

_Hermione nods then sees herself out after leaving some contact information for family therapists to help them get through the situation at hand._

_*End Flashback*_

"You went into my head! You invaded my privacy! How bloody well dare you! I told you she didn't want you knowing yet you went into my head to find out!"

"Does she know?" Hermione asks.

"She knows and she also knows I have a cure for him. Healer Weasley for the sake of the boy, just administer it to the child. It's his best hope. Please."

"Fine." She snorts and takes it just as Christi, Draco and Lucius all got there.

"How's he doing?" Draco asks still keeping a grip on Christi.

"Stable for right now. I'll be right back; I'm going to bring him this potion that Severus just brought me for him." Hermione said then left.

Hermione was gone for about twenty minutes before she came back and told them they could go in. Christi goes over and sits next to Mateo and runs her fingers through his chestnut hair in tears.

"Come on my sweet boy, please wake up for mummy. Please my little angel. Please." She softly says to him.

Draco goes on the other side of his son and gently squeezes the little boys hand gently.

"Come on kiddo, you have a wonderful mum and half-brother who love you dearly like I do. Please sport you gotta wake up for your mum and me. Please kiddo."

XXX

Next morning Christi wakes up from her spot next to Draco in the window seat as she was curled into his side to get warm as it was really cold in the hospital and they had a blanket over them that Draco conjured from a magazine as the two they had been given they were using for pillows. She looks over and sees he was still sound asleep and Hermione in the room checking over Mateo.

"How is he?"

"Made it through the night but still not out of the coma. I'd say whatever potion Severus made it's slowly curing Mateo. His white blood cell count is returning to normal and everything else is looking great."

Christi nods and snuggles closer to Draco as she was still kinda cold.

"You two go home and get cleaned up and a few hours of proper rest. I'll fire call you if you if anything changes."

"Hermione…"

"Go before I throw you out and besides you look like death worn over and you need sleep. Take a dreamless sleep drought and a sleeping drought as soon as you get home to get some decent sleep."

Christi nods and gently nudges Draco awake and tells him what Hermione told her and he nods taking a moment to talk to Mateo then they Floo back to the manor and retreat to their rooms.

XXX

Heading downstairs feeling better Christi goes to take a seat at the kitchen table and a house-elf, named Blinky, comes over and asks her if she wants something to eat and she just asks for a simple sandwich with a butterbeer.

Blinky nods and goes to do that as Severus walks in and clears his throat.

"Christi." He says slightly unsure of her reaction.

"Hello Severus, I'm sorry about yesterday. I was just really stressed and I was near losing my son and I couldn't stand that. I'm sorry."

"I as well. I should have given you you're space, but can we talk? I do have a lot of explaining to do."

Christi nods as Blinky brings her what she requested.

"I'm sorry for being such a git to you. The thing is that everyone close to me who I have ever loved has died on me. First my mum, then Lily I was scared that if I let you two to get to close you'd end up dying on me. Mateo came close to it and it scared the bloody hell out of me. I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you too. Even after ten years you don't see all my past demons you see me for who I am today and not who I was and that is something I will be forever grateful for. Please forgive me and maybe we can start over?" he asks sincerely.

"That's excepted and you're forgiven. Besides I'm not the type to hold people's past against them and I'd like to start over and I have to thank you. If it wasn't for you Draco and I would be planning our son's funeral. Severus you have no idea of how much appreciate that."

He gives her a small tight smile. She gets up and goes over and hugs him tightly. He smirks and pulls her gently into his lap making her giggle lightly. She lies her head on his shoulder closing her eyes as she was feeling increasingly queasy like she had been every morning for the last few weeks. She knew what it was…possibly. She didn't want to jump the gun with it quiet yet. Severus notices and frowns.

"Christi? Are you alright?"

"Fine." She says curling in closer to him nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck.

"It's something." He tells her but decides not to push it with her knowing her intense stubbornness.

"You know you should paten the potion for Muggle and Wizard use. You've discovered something amazing Severus. This can save countless lives." She said.

"I'm not sure."

"Severus, this is an amazing thing! Please at least think about it."

"I'll make you a deal if you tell me what's wrong with you I'll go and get this patented."

She chews her lower lip nervously then grabs his hand and puts his hand against her stomach giving him a slight pushing looking hoping he caught on. She had a pretty good feeling of what she was telling him was true but she still wasn't sure if she was or not.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Everything in bold is from Phoenix1592 she helped me with it when I was having trouble coming up with something to say! She and Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape have helped me with the story alot and I highly appreciate all of their help along with Sunnyinoregon! Thanks to all of! I appreciate all of your help with this story! : ) **

* * *

><p>He looks at her shocked at what she was silently telling him.<p>

"Are you sure?"

"Not really. I've just been thinking it was all the stress making me sick but after really thinking about it it's a possibility. I mean I am _late_ and feeling like how I was with Mateo. I just didn't want to accept it before because of the circumstances."

"That's understandable. How about when we go back to the hospital to see Mateo you go and get checked out." He said pushing of her hair away from her face.

She nods curling in closer to him taking in his scent that consisted of exotic spices, chamomile, and a scent uniquely him. He smiles and holds her close to him wrapping his free arm around her waist and keeping his other hand on her belly.

"Nervous?" she asks.

"Just a bit." He said.

He started thinking about his own childhood and what he endured at the hand of his own father as a child. He wasn't sure if he was going to be a good father to this baby. Mateo was different. He had quickly taken to him and only really saw him as an "uncle". But this potential child was going to be of his flesh and blood. He didn't want to screw this child up or even worse to turn out like his father did. An alcoholic lowlife piece of trash who abused his family when he felt like it and got piss drunk all the time. He didn't want that and that was one of his biggest fears was turning into his father Tobias.

"What's going through your head?" she mutters.

"Nothing."

"Something."

"It's nothing."

"Sev, I can tell it's something. Fears ruined us before please don't let it happen again especially since we have something more to consider this time." She says with a gentle pushing tone.

**"Its my childhood" Severus sighs, "I fear what impact it would have on our baby"**

She sits there waiting patiently for him to continue and after a brief moment she says, "I'm not going to judge you or blame you for anything that happened in your past you can tell me. Remember pure-blood witch here."

**"My father was a drunkard, and he mistreated my Mum and I" he says then pauses closing his eyes and taking a deep breath and letting out along with the anger welling up inside of him at the thought of Tobias Matthew Snape, "Given my own past, I don't ever want to become my father, nor will I allow any child of mine to suffer like I did" **

**"Sev, look at me, I didn't know your father, but I know you," Christi smiles, "We all have our failings, but your heart is in the right place, and I would think given your own past, you'd never let it happen to another child, let alone your own." Christi hugs him, "You'll do fine, and I'll be there with you, we'll go through this together"**

He smiles and holds her close to him. He had no idea on how he had gotten so lucky to have her in his life and to see past and accept all his demons. He was happy he had found someone like that again to be in his life as the only other person who was like that was Lily. He just hoped that his mother loved her as much as he did along with Mateo.

"Let's get you something to eat then head over to the hospital." Severus says

She nods and gets up and goes and grabs something to eat then they head over to the hospital. They get to the hospital and head to Mateo's room finding the little boy awake and talking to Hermione. Christi's eyes light up with happiness and joy as Mateo spots her.

"MUMMY!" he yells happily.

"Oh my sweet boy!" she says going over and hugging him gently.

"I missed you mummy."

"I missed you too."

After a moment she lies Mateo back down and he spots Severus standing there.

"Mummy what's Uncle Sev doing here?"

"Well baby, we talked and we made up. Uncle Sev explained to me of why he was acting the way he was and he's really super sorry. He even made you better with a super special potion to make you better."

"So are you and Uncle Sev back to together?" he asks.

"Yes we are, little man."

Mateo smiles happily as Hermione checks him over.

"I'll be right back kiddo. I have something to do. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Mateo nods. Severus just gives her a quick snog and the nine year old cries out, "EW! MUMMY! UNCLE SEV! EWW!"

Christi laughs as Severus goes and sits next to the boy chuckling.

"In a few years little man you're going to be snogging girls."

"Nuh-uh!" he says.

Severus just chuckles as Christi leaves and goes to get checked out by a Healer to find out if she is pregnant and if so how far long she is.

She comes back a little while later smiling and motions for Severus to come outside the room for a minute.

"So?"

"In about eight and half months there's going to be a little Snape running around." She smiles.

Severus breaks out into a huge smile and pulls her to him gently snogging her and lifts her up as she wraps her arms around his neck. She pulls back leaning her forehead against his laughing.

"Sev put me down!" she giggles.

He smiles and sets her down.

"Sorry." He says with a smile.

"No need to be sorry."

He smiles and snogs her.

"How about we make our family official?" he asks slyly.

"Are you asking what I think you are?"

He smirks and nods.

"YES!" she squeals and grabs him by his robes and pulls her to him snogging him.

He smiles and wraps his arms around her waist and holds her close to him. After a moment he pulls back and looks at her.

"Come on, there's someone I want you to meet." He said taking her hand lacing their fingers together."

"Who?" she asks.

"You'll see."

He leads her up to the fourth floor which was for spell damage.

"This floor just isn't for spell damage." He says.

She nods and continues with him until he leads her into a room with a woman about Christi's height in it sitting there looking out the window.

"Mum," he says softly making the woman turn around.

Christi's eyebrows hit her hairline seeing the woman standing there. She looked just like Severus.

"My Little Prince." She says.

Severus smiles at the nickname given to him from a young age.

"Christi, this is my mother, Eileen Snape nee Prince. Mother, this is Christi, the girl I was telling you about."

"Pleasure to meet you Miss. Pabletti, Sev has told me nothing but good things about you and your son."

"Please call me Christi and I've also heard nothing but good things about you. Sev admires you greatly."

Sev just smiles as the two start animatedly talking. He looks up as she suddenly sways and he crosses the room in two strides and grabs her wrapping an arm around her waist and grabbing her hand.

"Christi, you alright?"

"Just a dizzy spell. I got them all the time with Mateo." She said.

"Everything okay?" Eileen asks worried.

"I'm fine. I just forgot the joys of pregnancy."

"Another grandbaby! Oh how exciting! When is the little one due?"

"Eight and half months." Severus says helping Christi sit down then getting her a glass of water.

"What are you hoping for?" Eileen asks.

"I want a girl but I really don't care. As long as the baby is happy and healthy." Christi says.

Eileen laughs saying, "I could picture Sevvy with a little girl, threatening every boy she brings home along with Mateo and Scorpius."

Christi smiles and leans back in the chair.

"You alright now?"

"Yea, the dizziness passed."

He nods but stays close to her just in case.

"You're hovering." She mutters.

"He always does that when something happened to me. He just wants to make sure nothing happens. He always did it as a boy and he still does it. He's an incredibly sweet person." Eileen said patting Severus' cheek.

He goes pink in the cheeks.

"Would you like to meet Mateo?" Christi asks.

"Of course." Eileen said.

Severus nods and goes to speak to Hermione to see if he could bring Mateo to go and see his mother.

"Eileen, we just found out about the baby, could you not say anything? I'm going to talk to Sev tonight about waiting to tell him until I'm twelve weeks gone. I nearly miscarried with Mateo so I don't want him to get excited and then something happens."

"Of course sweetie."

A little while later Severus comes back with Mateo.

"Mateo can you say hello to Gran Eileen?"

"Hello, I'm Mateo Orion Pabletti."

"Why hello there Mateo."

Mateo smiles and snuggles closely to Severus. He had missed the man he had grown to love and was upset when he left but was happy that he was back.

"Mummy, Uncle Sev said that you and him are getting married."

"We sure are kiddo."

"Cool! Will I get to be a part of it?"

"Of course little man, you'll have a very special part in the wedding."

"Really! What!"

"You get to the be the ringer bearer."

"COOL!" he cries excitedly then yawns. He was still weak and tired easily but he was getting better.

Christi smiles as Severus gently shifts the boy so that his legs wrapped around his waist and he quickly fell asleep with his face buried in the crook of his neck.

"You'll make a wonderful father to Mateo and this baby My Little Prince. Don't doubt yourself or you'll lose them both."

He nods and holds Mateo close to him rubbing the little boys back to help him sleep. Eileen smiles watching her only child with his future stepson. He was so at ease with both Christi and Mateo in his life. He wasn't the cold stoic person he was before. She noticed the change slowly in him as the two became more of regular thing in his life. She was proud of her son and of how far he came from the scared, timid, abused little boy he had been then after his seventh year he made the stupid choice to go and follow the Dark Lord but then after Lily had been killed he went to Dumbledore begging for help and he changed. She was happy he was finally having some happiness in his life she knew he needed it.

The small family stayed there talking and making plans until the door opened and Eileen looked up and saw an new doctor who looked eerily close to Tobias and she starts yelling at him to get out and Severus automatically knows that she was flashing back to when Tobias would beat the living day lights out of both of him and her. He gently hands Mateo to Christi and goes over to his mother.

"Mum." He says.

She doesn't pay attention but keeps screaming.

"MUM!" he nearly shouts and she stops and looks at him.

"Oh My Little Prince, are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he? My sweet boy?"

"I'm fine Mum, I'm fine. You're safe. He's not here. He's been gone for a while now. We're fine."

She nods and crumples into his arms crying hysterically. Christi just holds Mateo close to her watching the scene as tears roll down her cheeks coming to a full understanding of what both Severus and Eileen went through for all those years.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next chapter a little further along in the pregnancy and overly protective Severus!**


	9. Chapter 9

A few months had passed now and Christi is five almost six months pregnant now and whenever she moves Severus is right at her side, that when he's not in class that is. He had explained everything to Minerva and she was highly excited to see the young Ravenclaw after a decade and to meet her young son. She had told Severus it was about time even making the man go a light shade of pink in his face. At the moment she was sitting on the couch with a book reading and rubbing her belly as Mateo comes into the room and sits next to Christi and rubs her belly.

"Mummy when are you going to find out if I'm going to have a sister or brother?"

"When that baby is born. Uncle Sev and I want it to be a surprise."

"So is that why all the baby stuff you have is yellow and the nursery here and at home are yellow with ducks?" he muses.

Since Malfoy Manor was so enormous Lucius and Narcissa had given them their own wing of the Manor. It had a master suite along with four other rooms and four bathrooms as well. One they had converted into a nursery and the other a room for Mateo. It even had its own kitchen, like the standard size kitchen.

"Sure is buddy." She said as the baby kicks and Mateo smiles.

"The baby kicked! Butterfly kicked!" cries Mateo with excitement as Severus walks in.

"Everything alright?" he asks worried.

"We're fine, all three of us. Mat got excited that the baby kicked. Sev, calm down. Everything is fine. The healers say I'm just fine and that the baby is fine. Relax." She giggles.

Severus snorts, "I just don't want anything to happen to either of you and especially with what happened with your pregnancy with Mateo, I can worry."

Christi had, had a difficult pregnancy with Mateo. Early on she nearly miscarried then Mateo had been born with the cord around his neck and he wasn't breathing and it took him a few minutes to take a breath so since finding out that information Severus would hover around her whenever he wasn't in class, giving detention, grading papers or homework or in a meeting with the staff.

He goes and kneels down next to her and puts his hand on her belly was well.

"How are you feeling?" he asks as he starts to rub her belly.

"Just a little tired, which is why I'm reading and relaxing on the sofa." She said before he could cut her off.

"Why don't…"

"Severus, I'm fine. Just relax. I'm fine."

"I know what to do if mum needs anything Uncle Sev. I come running to get you even if you're in the middle of class."

Severus snorts laughing, "And have every girl in my class saying how cute and adorable you are and wanting to see you every chance they have."

"Of course. He's as cute as a button and not to mention a Malfoy."

"And he got everything from his father." Severus states.

"Minus the attitude. He had the Pabletti attitude and temperament."

The little family sits there in silence for a while until Christi gasps for breath making Severus leap up.

"What's the matter?" he demands.

"Just got a really strong kick to my side. Sweet Merlin that hurt."

He nods and relaxes.

"Bloody hell three more months of you being so jumpy."

"It's just going to get worse when the baby actually gets here." Comes Narcissa's voice.

They all look over and see Lucius and Narcissa standing there.

"Oh bloody hell!" she mutters.

"Lucius and Draco both did. It was very funny actually."

She mutters something in Greek under her breath. She leans back on the couch rubbing her belly.

"So Mateo what do you want? A little brother or sister?"

"Sister! I want a little sister."

"Oh I can picture that! Severus with a little girl and chasing away every boy that she brings home or even here. I can see that!" Lucius says howling with laughter.

Menacingly Severus growls, "Why don't I start by hexing you?"

"Here you go mummy." Mateo says catching everyone's attention handing her bottle with a lavender colored liquid.

"Headache?" Severus asks worried.

"Blinding that's making me nauseas and dizzy."

"That's it I'm having Poppy get down here and checking on you." Severus snorts.

"Sev…" she said but was cut off as the portrait closed.

"He's just being cautious." Narcissa says as Christi winces.

"Ow." She whimpers.

"What's wrong?" Lucius asks.

"Cramping in my lower abdomen and my lower back." She whimpers.

"Mateo go and get Severus now and tell him to meet us at St. Mungo's." Lucius says.

Mateo nods and runs out Lucius gently lifts Christi up and carries her into the Floo as Narcissa throws the Floo powder down calling their destination out.

Mateo ran through the halls of Hogwarts and he runs into Severus.

"Uncle Severus!" he yells frantic making a few of the female students stop and fawn over how cute he was.

"Stop! I need Uncle Severus!" he snorts pushing through the girls.

"What's the matter little man?"

"Gram and Poppa are bringing mummy to St. Mungo's she was cramping badly!" he says frantic.

He picks up the little boy and heads right into the infirmary and over to the Floo calling out his destination.

Arriving in St. Mungo's seconds later he goes up to the medi-witch receptionist.

"Maternity ward, room 45D. Mr. Malfoy told me you should be arriving soon."

He nods and heads up to the floor. He finds her room and sets Mateo down who bolts into the room and Severus follows.

"What's wrong?"

"She has high blood pressure which caused her to go into preterm labor but they managed to stop it for right now. It will only stop it for a few days then she has to deliver the baby they just wanted to stop it for now to give the baby a few more days of development but she's going to have to deliver soon." Lucius says.

Severus nods and sighs taking a seat next to his sleeping fiancée taking her hand in his causing her to stir.

"Sev?" she mutters softly.

"I'm here go back to sleep."

She nods and goes right back to sleep.

**§Three days later§**

Severus was sitting behind Christi helping her sit up as she pushed. He was encouraging her to keep going. She leans back against him whimpering as he levitates a cool cloth over and wipes her sweaty face off.

"Come on sweetheart you're doing well." He encourages.

"It hurts so much."

"You're almost there Christi. I just need you to give me two more big pushes. We have one shoulder out."

She nods and pushes once again.

"Good Christi! Now one more big push and you'll have your baby."

Giving one last push with all the energy she hears small fragile cries fill the room and the doctor saying, "Congratulations you have a little baby…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey all starting the 15th until the 22nd i am going 2 b UNAVAILABE as im going on a cruise! so ill b bck then!with an update hopefully ill b able 2 get some writing done when im not running around the ship! So ill catch all of you later! Byez! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

_Giving one last push with all the energy she hears small fragile cries fill the room and the doctor saying, "Congratulations you have a little baby…"_

"You have a little baby girl." Dr. Reynolds says gently placing the small baby girl on Christi's chest.

"She's so gorgeous." Severus says.

"She really is."

"We need to take her for a little while just to get cleaned up and thoroughly checked out. We'll have her back within the next hour or so."

Both the new parents nod and the frail little girl is taken and wrapped up in the blanket that had been lying on Christi's chest and taken from the room as Christi she herself was cleaned up and the after birth was delivered.

"What do you want to name her?" Severus asks.

"Something different and unique."

"How about Zoey it's Greek and it means life."

"I thought about that but I was thinking maybe Z-o-w-i-e. For the spelling its different and unique. Then I was thinking Eileen for her middle name." She says hoping that Severus caught the middle name she had picked out for their little girl.

He looked shocked and a bit stuttered.

"Really?" he asks.

She nods, "Of course, Eileen has been more of a mother to me than my own mother." She explains.

Severus nods and gently snogs her cupping the side of her face.

"Why don't you go and check on Zowie? I'm just gonna try to go and get some sleep."

He nods and he heads out of the room and to the nursery to check on his baby girl and to find a nurse so that he could fill out the birth certificate and other information.

XXX

"Master, Mistress, Loretta just heard that Mistress Christi is betrothed to Potions Master Severus Snape and just had a baby with him." The timid little house elf said.

Achilles leans forward resting his elbows against the end of his arm chair.

"Severus Snape you say?"

"Yes Master. He's a descendant of the Prince line and youngest Potions Master in Britain." Loretta nods her ears flopping.

"Where is she?"

"Loretta heard St. Mungo's in London Master. Loretta could find out for Master. Loretta would be most pleased to find out."

"Go find out and report back."

"Loretta do that!" the small elf said then popped out.

"Rosetta didn't we go to school with Severus?" ponder Achilles.

"I believe so."

"The name sounds familiar but I just can't place a face with a name it's been so long."

A little while later Loretta pops back.

"Mistress is in St. Mungo's! Loretta did good?"

"Yes." Rosetta said then she and Achilles rose from their seats and over to the Apparition point outside their estate.

They Apparate to the hospital and then go to the information desk and find out what room Christi is in then they head up to her room. Arriving to her room they find Christi sound asleep and Severus quietly pacing the room gently bouncing a little pink bundle in his arms.

"Severus." Rosetta says making him turn around and look in the direction of Rosetta and Achilles.

"Rose, Achilles. What a surprise seeing you here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm surprised you're here. I mean you never even bothered with her when she pregnant with her son and when he was born. You've been absent from both of their lives but now you're all of the sudden here."

"The child is out of wedlock!"

"So? You two haven't changed a bit. Still worrying about you're pure-blood's only ways. I'm surprised I never saw you two at Death Eater meetings." He snorts.

It had been made known that he was entirely on the light side and that he was just a spy for the light to feed information back to Dumbledore throughout the war time.

"We agreed with Voldemort we just didn't want to be minions. Though our daughter associated herself with filth like mudblood's and the less fortunate like half bloods." Achilles states, "None taken." He says quickly.

"Highly taken!" he growls deep in his chest causing Zowie to fuss and whine.

He quickly goes back to gently bouncing his little girl to hush her and keep her asleep so that she didn't her mother who was sleeping soundly.

"She's quiet tiny." Rosetta notes.

"That's because she was born three months early." Came Christi's voice.

"What caused an early labor?" Achilles asks.

"We don't know but it happens. But she's fine and a happy healthy baby. She may have some minor health aliments later on but that's expected since she was born early."

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired and sore. Why are you here? You never cared before. Why now? Why is my daughter so special you come all the way out here from your high class life in Mediterranean to come and see her and me."

There was just a long awkward silence in the room after that.

"Well, sweetheart…well…"

"Unbelievable." She mutters in Greek under her breath.

"We wanted to reconcile with you. We know we haven't been the best parents with you but we were just looking out for your future."

"So trying to marry me off at seventeen was looking out for me? Yea, right. You just wanted me with a pure-blood when I wanted to live my life and do what I wanted. But then I had a Mateo and things sucked and you kicked me out because he's a wedlock child but he is a pure-blood child. He's a Malfoy and the heir to the Malfoy line. But you didn't bother asking me that when he was born all you saw was me knocked up and unmarried."

"We want you back in the family." Rose said.

"So what all these years I haven't been part of the family!"

"You know what I mean."

"No I don't."

"What I mean is I want us to start acting like family again. Before everything went bad."

"Oh like before my fourth year when Moldymort came back and started destroying lives again?" she asks smirking at the ridiculous nickname she and her friends gave to Voldemort.

Severus had to cough as if he was clearing his throat to cover his laugh. He had heard Christi and her friends call Voldemort that many times while in school. Christi smirks getting why he did that.

Before anyone could say anything Zowie let out a howl and started crying turning beat red in her face. Severus starts bouncing her and gently patting her bottom.

"That's not gonna work. She's hungry and needs to be fed." Christi giggles.

Severus nods and gently transfers the screaming infant to her mother and ushers Achilles and Rosetta outside.

"Why are we out here?" Rosetta asks.

"She's feeding the baby."

"So we can be in there." Snorts Achilles.

"Not unless you want to see how much of a woman your daughter has turned into." Severus smirks waiting for Achilles reaction.

It takes a moment for it click in his head then he nods stoically. They stand there in silence for a little bit before they here both Mateo and Scorpius' laughter coming down the hallway. Severus smiles at how hyperactive the boys got when they were together.

"Uncle Sev!" they both yell in unison slamming into him like a ton of bricks.

"Hello boys."

"Is my brother or sister here yet? Huh?" Mateo asks excitedly.

"Sure is. You have a baby sister. We just have to wait a while to go in and see her as your mum is feeding your sister right now."

"I can help!" he pouts.

"Not with how your mum is feeding her. She's not using a bottle." He explain as best as he could. They weren't ready to give him the birds and bees talk and he didn't want questions arising with both boys about what 'nursing' meant because that would lead to him having to say 'breast-feeding' and that would eventually turn into the sex talk and neither one of them wanted that quiet yet especially Christi.

Mateo frowns with not understanding what Severus meant by that.

"She's feeding the baby from her breast Mateo." Rosetta said.

"Who are you?" he asks nervously. He really didn't like meeting new people they made him nervous when he and Severus first met that was a rare interaction of him not sinking into his shell when meeting someone new.

"We're your grandmother and grandfather. We're your mum's parents."

"Oh." He shortly said then looked up at Severus, "What did she mean by mummy is feeding my sister from her breast?" Mateo asks making Severus groan.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"But I want to know now!" he whines.

"Mateo Orion Pabletti I said I would tell you when you're older and that's final." Severus tells the boy with a stern tone.

"Yes, Uncle Sev." He mutters then adds, "But what is it!"

Severus sighs and looks at Rosetta saying, "You started this now you finish it."

"Finish what?"

"We been putting off on giving him the talk but you had to go and tell him she was nursing but with the more technical term so now you tell him in a subtle way while I go and check on them." Severus snorts as he heads inside Christi's room to check on mom and daughter leaving Rosetta to finish what she started as Draco came up.

"So grandmother what's a breast!" Mateo asks getting impatient wanting an answer.

"Excuse me? What did you just say young man?" Draco asks his eldest son.

"I just asked what a breast was! Uncle Sev won't tell me but he told grandmother to start what she finished! I'm so confused! Will someone just answer my question!" he says exasperated.

"Wait, excuse me?"

"Well Severus told him that the reason why he couldn't see Christi is because she was feeding the baby and he said that he could help and he told him that she's not using a bottle and I told him she was feeding the baby from her breast and he started asking questions."

"You have no right telling my son that! He's nine nearly ten! He doesn't need to be hearing that! But you can get yourself out of this pit you've dug yourself into. Severus, Christi and I have all agreed that we won't give them the talk until they're thirteen."

"Them?" Achilles asks.

"Mateo and my other son Scorpius, both of the boys are nearly ten." He said.

"Just getting around are you?" Achilles asks.

"Boys go to the seventh floor and get something to eat and something for the baby." Draco said addressing the two nine year olds.

The boys nod and go to do as they were told.

"Look Mateo was a drunken one night stand. Christi and my friends thought it would be a good idea to take us out for a hen's and mate's night out and get us piss drunk. Well it worked and we shagged and Christi ended up getting pregnant with Mateo but we don't regret that choice as it's made our lives better. Yes these last couple of years I've been a prat but Severus has made me noticed that I've been a prat to her and Mateo all these years. So when the boys get back you dig yourself out of this pit."

A few minutes later the boys come back carrying their gifts in hand. Mateo was carrying a pink teddy bear and Scorpius was carrying a porcelain angle in his hands carefully to make sure he didn't drop it.

"Mateo a breast is a…a…very private area of a girl that should only been seen by someone you love dearly." Rosetta says.

Draco is just standing there smirking in delight at Rosetta's discomfort and how she's struggling to find the right words.

"So Uncle Sev can see it?"

"Yes."

"What about me?"

"Not until you're thirty five young man." Draco snorts.

"Why you and Christi were nineteen when you had Mateo."

"We were incredibly young."

Rosetta and Achilles roll their eyes and ignore him as Severus comes back out.

"Draco you and the boys can go in now."

Mateo's eyes light up and he scampers into the room and he carefully climbs up onto the bed next to his mother.

"Mateo this is your sister Zowie."

"She's pretty mummy. I got her a teddy bear." He said holding the teddy bear out.

"How sweet baby boy."

"Thank you mummy."

"What did you get Zowie Scorpius?"

"I got Zowie a porcelain angle Aunt Christi."

"That was very sweet Scorp."

He smiles and climbs up on the other side of Christi to look at the baby. He smiles at Zowie who just blinks and stares at both the boys. Christi chuckles as she hears Severus growling outside.

"Oh boy." She mutters as he walks.

"Please tell me my parents are still intact."

"Yes, they were just given an ultimatum."

Christi rolls her eyes as Draco walks in.

"Bloody hell Uncle I haven't seen you look that menacing in years."

"Draco tell me what he did right now."

"He threatened them that if they don't give you a heartfelt a apology to you about their behavior toward you and if they wish to reconcile with you they need to promise to leave all their pure-blood notions aside and accept your decision and for them to respect both Zowie and Mateo and treat them with respect and decency or they won't be allowed anywhere near you or the kids."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This chapter is being dedicated to a good family friend who passed away Wednesday from a very rare form of cancer that is terminal. he fought it for seven months but sadly lost his battle Wednesday shortly after midnight. His memorial service was last night and very beautiful. His older brother, sisters and twin were all there as well. I miss him like crazy but knowing that his pain and suffering is over makes it easier to withstand. Please keep his widow and family in thoughts and prayers. RIP Ken Salony you will be forever missed!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>A year has passed now and it was nearing Zowie's first birthday and Mateo's eleventh birthday. Zowie had her daddy wrapped around her little finger. At the moment Severus was sitting on the floor with Zowie who was lying on her belly kicking her chubby little legs gurgling and giggling. He smiles and holds his hands out to her. The year had gone by quickly and Minerva, Poppy, Pomona and all the girls in the school swooned over little Zowie.<p>

"Come on Zo. You can do it." He said as she pushed herself up into sitting position.

She grabs the end of the coffee table and pulls herself up onto her feet a little wobbly.

"Come on princess." He said encouraging her.

She gets a look of determination on her precious face and she takes a wobbly step forward then another then let's go of the table and walks toward her daddy on wobbly legs.

"That's it. Come on Zowie. You can do it."

She smiles and keeps walking toward her daddy until her foot catches on the end of the coffee table making her tip and fall and bumping her head on the floor making her scream out crying.

Severus jumps up and scoops up his baby girl and gently bounces her.

"It's okay Zo. Just a little bump." He said.

Mateo comes down and looks at Severus.

"Uncle Sev is Zo okay?"

"Yea she's fine just a bump on the head."

He nods then asks, "When is mummy coming home?"

"I'm not sure scamp. She has a really special job."

"She goes after dangerous criminals and locks them up in Azkaban."

"That's right champ." He said.

Mateo smiles and goes and grabs Zowie's teddy bear he had gotten for her a year ago and hands it to her. Zowie immediately cuddles it and goes right to sleep.

"How nice of you Mateo, you're a good big brother."

Mateo smiles and scampers out to the garden and starts playing. Severus carries Zowie up to her nursery and lies her down after checking out her head to make sure she was fine then he heads into the master bedroom and hears movement coming from the walk in closet and he grabs his wand and slowly approaches.

"Turn around slowly." He says lifting his wand prepared to fight.

The person jumps and slowly turns around. Once the person fully turns around he finds it was Christi.

"Surprise Sevvy." She smiles.

He smiles and pockets his wand and goes over and scoops her up into his arms and snogs her senseless.

She wraps her arms around his neck and snogs him back.

Pulling back when their lungs started burning for air Christi pills back leaning her forehead against his.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack." He mutters panting to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to be up here or even home."

"So you could just ambush me?"

"That was the plan. You know being away for six months without any sexual relief really drives a girl crazy."

Severus growls playfully and he scoops her up and carries her to the bed lying her down on the bed and climbing on top of her and starts kissing down her neck getting to space where her neck and shoulder meet and leaves a love bite there making her whimper.

"No teasing! Please!" she whimpers squirming under him.

He smirks and keeps up his teasing.

XXX

"Uncle Sev?" comes Mateo's voice knocking on the closed and locked bedroom door.

Severus gently laid Christi down as she was lying half way on top of him then quickly summoned his pajamas and got dressed then slipped out of the room.

"What's up buddy?" he asks getting down the little boy's eye level.

"I found a snake! I wanna show you! He's sooooo cool!" the young boy said bouncing with excitement.

Severus nods and follows the boy out in the garden and sees the snake curled up in a tank they in a corner from when Mateo had fish but they all died and they just never got the tank.

"How'd you get him there buddy?"

"I picked him up and put him in there. He said I could pick him up and put him in there."

"Wait a minute Mateo did you just say you talked to him?"

"Yup. I looked at him saying what a cool snake he was and that I wished I could put him somewhere so that I could show you and he said that I could pick him up and put him in the tank. Isn't he cool!"

"He is cool buddy." Severus said hiding the worry in tone.

Was Mateo a parselmouth or did it have to something to do with his Prince blood and them having other magical blood?


End file.
